Heritage-Sensitive Lean Construction: Integration of Cultural Values and Efficiency through a Case Study of Kimpulan Temple in Yogyakarta

Increasing infrastructure development in cultural heritage areas often creates tensions between construction efficiency and preservation of cultural values. In this context, the Lean Construction approach, which focuses on process efficiency and value creation, needs to be re-examined to address the complexity of projects that intersect with historical sites. This study aims to explore how Lean Construction principles can be adapted sensitively to cultural heritage, taking the case of the restoration of Kimpulan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as the object of study. This temple is a 9th-century Hindu relic that was unexpectedly discovered amidst the construction of a library building on the modern campus of the Islamic University of Indonesia, thus raising the need for a construction management strategy that considers the sacredness, symbolic meaning, and rhythm of local culture. This study uses a qualitative case study method through analysis of planning documents, interviews with stakeholders, and direct observation on site. The results of the study produce a Heritage-Sensitive Lean Framework, consisting of six main principles: value pluralism, cultural rhythm, distributed authority, contextual constraint management, multi-sector collaboration, and sustainable adaptation. These findings suggest that the lean approach can be extended beyond technical efficiency to deeper social and cultural meaning. The theoretical contribution of this study is the extension of the Lean paradigm in the realm of cultural preservation, while its practical contribution lies in providing relevant managerial tools for similar projects in the future. The social implications of this study include strengthening the role of communities and cultural institutions in decision-making for infrastructure projects. This study also opens up space for further validation and application of this framework in other heritage contexts with different socio-cultural characteristics.